The Nicole Sandler Show

A bit of what's news for now

The popcorn is popping and we're ready for the big show to begin. Tonight at 8ET, the House Select Committee investigating the event surrounding the Jan 6 Insurrection at the Capitol begins its long-awaited public hearings. Tomorrow's show will recap whatever happens tonight. In the meantime, Howie Klein is here for our regular Thursday get-together. I'm guessing we might do some pre-hearing prognostication about what to expect from these hearings... and more! (And I'll explain why Burgess Meredith is featured on today's show card!)

A bit of what's news for now

'm getting ready for the public hearings on the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. How? By watching the House hearings on the Protect Our Kids Act, the package of bills aimed at protecting us from gun violence. But the fact is, even if all of these bills pass, those weapons of war - of mass destruction- numbering in the millions are everywhere in the country. What do we do about it? Damned if I know. But that's what we're talking about today. P

A bit of what's news for now

When the news broke last week that the jury acquitted former Clinton lawyer Michael Sussman on charges of lying to the FBI during the 2016 election cycle. This is one of only two cases brought by U.S. Attorney John Durham, who was appointed by then AG Bill Barr to open a Special Counsel investigation into the origins of the FBI's probe into Russian interference in that election. That he was acquitted, and almost immediately after the jury got the case, dealt a blog to the former guy's narrative. But I don't listen to their spin. I go the one of the best journalists on this beat-- Marcy Wheeler at emptywheel.net. That day-one week ago today- my show was already booked, with Digby! I thought I might be able to have both Digby and Marcy Wheeler on the same show, but realized that wouldn't be fair to any of us. So I used the Marcy Wheeler interview on the Bradcast as I guest hosted that night. But it hasn't aired on my show yet. Until today. We taped this interview a week ago today. Nothing has changed except that yesterday, Enrique Tarrio and five more members of the Proud Boys already charged with conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding were indicted on an additional charge of Seditious Conspiracy! The hearings begin in two days... popcorn ready for popping.

A bit of what's news, for now

I often speak of Opposite World. I first noticed the alternate universe mostly inhabited by Republicans during the Bush years, when people of a certain right wing persuasion just decided they'd not believe facts inconvenient to their beliefs. They put forth no argument, engage in no debate, just simply said something to the effect of "I don't believe you," and off they went on their merry, alternative facts kind of way. Things got worse during the Obama years, as the GOP turned into the Gruesome Obstructionist Party, filibustering every single bill and obstructing any policy the Democratic president attempted to enact. Mitch McConnell even admitted to being the Grim Reaper of the senate, killing off every bill put forth by the majority. He even stole a Supreme Court seat from the sitting president, holding it open for almost an entire year just to keep Obama from filling it. The Trump years brought the disconnect to a whole new low, where up is down, in is out and right is most certainly wrong. We watched an actual coup attempt begin and seemingly fail, but we fail to realize that it's still in progress... they haven't stopped trying to overthrow our democratic form of government. We're now in the early stages of the 2022 midterm elections.. primaries are in full swing. And the MAGAt forces are training to complete the job they started during the last election: stealing the next one... Unless they can be stopped. That, I believe, is one of the goals of the 1/6 commission... making sure they can't complete their nefarious task. Today on the show, I'm joined by journalist Heidi Pryzbyla, most recently with NBC News. She broke a big story in Politico last week about the plans in place by the coup-ers as they try to finish what they started last time. We'll talk about it...

A bit of what's news for now

This is not a good time to be alive. I'm not saying the alternative is better, just that things around here are pretty messed up... from the effects of climate change which are getting worse each day, to the war and all the killing (Putin is only the tip of that spear), to the rising fascism not only here in the US but around the planet. And the fate of our wonderful democracy? Good thing I'm not a betting woman, as I don't even have any money to bet that we go down in flames. Like most Americans, I've been trying to figure out where I could go if things revert to the former guy's minions in the next election. And sadly, there seems to be nowhere to run. Or maybe there is? The US Government is finally gradually releasing information about sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (better known to the rest of us as UFOs!). Today on the show, we look to the skies. There's a new film streaming on Prime, YouTube and other outlets called "A Tear in the Sky". Producer/Director/Writer Caroline Cory and UFO Investigator Dave Altman joined me to talk about the film which covered a five-day expedition to get read data on the UAPs that were first published by the NY Times in 2017, working with some of the military pilots who witnessed the footage as it was shot. The idea of life out there has been long ridiculed by most... I'll pull out a short interview I did with the actress Shirley MacLane back in 2007 after she was invoked in a presidential debate by the late Tim Russert, who asked then-candidate Dennis Kucinich about a UFO spotting he had while with her out in the desert. Because we can...